The new public services Ombudsman for Wales Act 2019: the story 2014 - 2020

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Disclosure statement

The author is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales but wrote this article in a personal capacity.

Notes

1. Before I became an ombudsman I worked as a lobbyist in Brussels at the Wales European Centre 1994–99, co-owned/directed Bute Communications 2004–2006 and, as chief executive of Community Housing Cymru, lobbied for social housing innovation and investment 2006–2014.

2. The panel included an government official, an Assembly Member and an existing public service ombudsman from outside of wales.

3. A pledge that I would honour, using the thematic reporting powers of the 2005 legislation and also issuing the first ever special reports against a Health Board and a local authority for non-compliance on early resolution.

4. I had worked with Mark Drakeford between 2000–2002 serving as a Special Adviser to Mike German the Deputy First Minister in the Labour- Liberal Democrat Coalition in Wales.

5. Peter Tyndall was the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales from 2008–2013 before becoming Irish Ombudsman and President of the IOI World Board.

6. For a discussion, (see Kirkham and Gill 2020).

7. He was also referred to Cardiff Standards Committee and sanctioned for bullying in January 2020.